Gluten Free at Panera Bread the Secret Menu

My meeting was scheduled today at Panera Bread so I planned to eat something before I got there and then I could just grab a hot tea, but of course I left my food on the counter at my house and ended up wondering what I would do. Eating gluten-free at Panera Bread is extremely challenging and risky!

Gluten Free at Panera Bread the Secret Menu

I’ve eaten at Panera Bread before and typically just have the black bean soup and some kettle chips. It’s pretty much playing a game of Russian Roulette because of the high risk of contamination from the bread crumbs all over the place. I would say if you are extremely sensitive, stay away from Panera.

When I got to the counter, I ordered the soup, only to find out they didn’t have it today. So I asked the lady to see the nutrition menu so I could see what other options I could have. Mainly I was looking for a salad since I wasn’t sure about anything else.

She then directed me to get my own menu from the front door. I explained to her that the nutrition is in a binder behind the counter and not on the menu. Another cashier helped her and was very friendly. While perusing the allergen list for a bit and not finding anything, I almost settled for 2 bags of kettle chips to hold me over. But, what did I notice, something called “Power Steak Lettuce Wraps.” I used to work at Panera and know that sometimes they come out with seasonal items so I asked if they had that. The girl said “Oh yeah, it’s on our secret menu.” Really? I’ve never heard of it.

After ordering the gluten-free meal, the lady asked me if I wanted a pastry or dessert to go with my meal. AND THEN came around while I was eating and offered me a bite of the pastry they were sampling for the day. I mean seriously folks, get it together!

Wait, actually one of our members at Bexa Body Fitness mentioned that they had this secret menu but I didn’t have time to look to see what is on it. Needless to say I was pretty excited. Most of the items on this menu are full of protein and veggies with limited or no carbs. Here is what is on the menu:

Again, I can’t emphasize this enough that there is a high chance of cross contamination at Panera and you run the risk of young teens handling your food and maybe not being as careful as they should when preparing your meal. BUT, I will say this was the best meal I’ve had at Panera in a long time. It was fantastic. The steak was tender and juicy, everything was fresh and I really enjoyed the light, refreshing meal.

Secret menus seem to be the trend and it’s no wonder why Panera jumped on board. I just wish that eating healthy wasn’t a secret and they would post these items on their regular menu for people to order from. This goes right into my post from yesterday about eating clean being a dirty concept. Why on earth are the amazing, fresh and delicious items on the “secret menu.”